Films and TV series all over the world have seen their production halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. No film and series is safe, as we’ve seen Warner Bros. stop work on “The Batman” and Disney pretty much suspend the studio’s entire slate. But in the case of Paul Schrader’s “The Card Counter,” the film was so close to ending production, it wasn’t stopped immediately. Well, until now.
According to the filmmaker, production of his upcoming film, “The Card Counter,” was suspended five days away from completion due to a positive test for coronavirus. And even though it doesn’t appear that the illness affected anyone crucial to the production, the producers have pulled the plug to be extra cautious.
To say Schrader is unhappy with the turn of events is an understatement. The filmmaker posted a message on Facebook about the production stoppage, and he’s definitely upset.
“Production halted five days before wrap by my pussified producers because an LA day player had the corona virus,” he wrote. “Myself, I would have shot through hellfire rain to complete the film. I’m old and asthmatic, what better way to die than on the job?”
READ MORE: Cinemas In New York City & Los Angeles Forced To Close Due To Pandemic
We’ve said this a million times before, but Schrader is no stranger to saying whatever is on his mind and not filtering it for anyone. It’s part of his charm, and also part of why he makes films that are clearly without much compromise. Unfortunately, even someone as old-school and stubborn is going to have to make the health of his crew the number one priority.
Interestingly, on social media, he posted a picture of himself with stars Willem Dafoe and Oscar Isaac, where they’re all sharing an embrace. On Twitter, we joked that this is not a good example of social distancing. Obviously, we couldn’t have predicted this would happen, but it is a bit ironic, huh?
That being said, it must be incredibly frustrating for a filmmaker to work so hard on a film, see the light at the end of the production tunnel, but then have that ending suspended because of something that is completely out of your control. But hey, this is uncharted territory and no one is safe. So, Schrader will have to wait a while to end his film. And honestly, we’d much rather have that then a much more grim report later.
